President, Century Museum Village & Collectors Association,
Box 280, Pleasant Valley, New York 12569, Photos by Reed Barton
Jim Warner of Poughkeepsie, New York, puts CMCA’s 1919
Republic oil delivery truck through its paces. Antique trucks are a
rapidly growing segment of this show.
Bill Smith or verbank, New York, brought along several nicely
restored engines and attachments, including this 1910 2 HP Root
& Vandervoort engine.
Great weather plus a great new location equaled a great show!
Plagued by several years of uncertain weather, our 2nd annual
Antique Machinery & Rural Life Days Festival cruised through
two days of perfect weather on May 15-16, 1999 at the Dutchess
County Fairgrounds in beautiful Rhinebeck, New York.
Our 150-plus exhibitors gave a ‘thumbs up’ rating to our
new location at the level, grassy race track infield. Even with a
good turnout, we found we have oodles of room for expansion. Though
the classic tractor pull and most of the antique machinery and
vehicles congregated at the infield, many visitors also toured the
10,000 square foot Century Museum Village building with its
depictions of country living at the turn of the 20th century.
Around the museum, a group of CMVCA volunteers operated the
blacksmith shop, the shingle mill and other machinery.
The volume of spectators was a comfortable flow, attesting to
our advertising efforts. Several papers, after receiving our press
release, called for more details and wrote feature articles. Even
the Boston Globe in Massachusetts listed our festival as
visitor-worthy!
About 70 classic tractors participated in the Saturday
tractor-pull which lasted most of the day. The pull is a
‘well-oiled machine’ as most participants work when
they’re not operating a tractor. The pull was suspended about
half an hour while tractors that were not in the pull were paraded
through the pull arena and then around the field. The parade was
repeated again on Sunday afternoon.
10 year-old Jimmy Huber of Hopewell Junction, New York, takes a
slow tour with his Wards garden tractor and dump cart. These
youngsters are the future of our clubs.
Bill Smith of Verbank, New York, had his gas station memorabilia
flanked by a 1910 2 HP Root & Vandervoort engine (left) and a
1918 Associated ‘Mule Team’ engine (right).
Amy Boice lays into the crank of Jim Boice’s 1921 IHC Titan
tractor while her husband Jim Jr. offers his advice. She did get it
started.
14-year-old Neil Mongeau of New Hartford, Connecticut, kept
himself and his 1944 John Deere model B (which he restored himself)
busy with the water wagon detail.
Tractor games were the main action event on Sunday; open to all
tractors, the ‘games’ included the slow race and the
‘blind man’s’ obstacle course. In the latter event, the
operator has to negotiate his tractor through an obstacle course
with a paper bag over his head. (Of course we had spotters to walk
alongside to halt the terribly-errant tractors; we didn’t need
any crushed cars or anxious mothers!)
The Empire Chapter of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America had
an excellent showing with their annual swap meet and show. Also on
hand were about 20 vintage vehicles, mostly trucks, including our
own 1919 Republic oil delivery truck which embarrassed us with a
failed magneto on Saturday morning. Thanks to our expert mechanics,
old unreliable was back in action Sunday morning.
Plans for our 2000 Show are well under way. Show dates are May
20-21 with set-up on Friday afternoon from noon to 9:00 p.m.
